A Brand-New Leader: Steven Yang

Steven Yang was running the world-renowned Hard Rock brand across the Asia region when Focus Brands International came knocking. The United States-based food and beverage brand developer, with thousands of franchisees worldwide, had earmarked an executive who could help maximize its growth in the fast-moving Asia–Pacific market.

Yang, however, was happy where he was. Hard Rock had looked after him and his stocks had never been higher due to his leading role in the brand’s development. "This was back in 2019, and Focus Brands said, ‘We need someone that knows the development mechanisms of how to grow a brand’," he recalls.

"After several months of discussion, I accepted, because the head of international said something very interesting. He said, ‘You’re looking after one brand now, but how would you like a brand portfolio? Step up!’ I was excited by his challenge."

Yang’s portfolio now includes household names such as Cinnabon, Jamba, Auntie Anne’s, Carvel and Moe’s.

The First Hurdle

As luck would have it, just three months after taking up the post he was blindsided by a challenge no one saw coming – the COVID-19 pandemic. "When I first joined the company we had all these plans of growing the team. How do we do it? Who do we need? We had all our battle plans in place, and then everything shut down," he says, shaking his head.

"The one great lesson I learned during that time was that sometimes you don’t need that much. It forced us to operate leaner, work smarter and be more flexible. The COVID-19 pandemic threw out the old, one-size-fits-all mentality; especially when you find yourself with logistical and supply chain problems top of mind.

"It’s like, ‘Well, we can’t be buying stuff in the United States, it’s going to take too long to get here’. So I think creating flexibility in the model has been a real advantage for us going forward. We still have a great relationship with our major vendors out of the United States, but the reality is we have to continue to build relationships with new regional vendors, too.

"We have even hired our first Supply Chain Head for Asia in order to strengthen our regional capabilities and better support our franchisees."

Perfecting the Team

Another impact of the pandemic, Yang reflects, was how it took the importance of hiring correctly to another level. "The pandemic forced us all to ask ourselves, ‘How do we run a company remotely?’ It set us up well because, for our business, we continue to regionally expand; we are all remote," he says.

"So, first you have to hire high-caliber people and then you have to give them the opportunity to lead; you have to have trust in them. Of course, you have to verify, too. You make sure the kids don’t go wild when mom and dad are away. But if we hire correctly and allow them to own their decisions, let them teach and let them lead the way, they naturally become better leaders."

Asked how he maintains such a pragmatic approach, Yang shares his leadership outlook. "I look at the businesses I have run like my own. I work for a big corporation, I oversee Asia, but I still look at it as my business and my money," he says.

"I make decisions from the perspective of, ‘What would I do if this was my business and my money?’ and this ensures I’m consistently pragmatic and practical."

Another crucial aspect of Yang’s approach is "staying in the trenches". "When you are leading a team you have to know what’s happening on the ground, in the trenches," he says.

"You can’t lose touch. You see it a lot where people get into higher positions and then start creating a distance between themselves and what’s happening at the coalface. So, in my case, staying in the trenches means seeing what’s happening at the store level, what’s happening at the malls. This is how you understand your customer and stay relevant.

"When I go to a market like Singapore to meet franchisees, I usually go a day earlier and walk through the malls, I walk down Orchard Road and look at the different concepts … I remain curious."